Cut My Liver, Cut You Out

After half a month at the rehab center, I was finally starting to heal. Harvey called me once at the start, then ghosted.

As the day to meet Mom got closer, I forced myself to go home and pack.

The second I opened the door, though, I walked right into a party. Harvey and his friends froze like I'd just crashed the world's most awkward surprise. Harvey's face twisted, unsure, but he stepped forward, frowning.

"Leah, why didn't you answer when I tried to contact you?"

My eyes landed on the girl behind him—Vivi Baldwin. Long hair, white dress, perfect little soulmate vibe. When she caught me staring, Harvey rubbed his nose like a guilty kid.

"Vivi came back earlier than expected," he mumbled. "Since I just had surgery, I didn't wanna make a big deal out of it. Just a small welcome party. You're not seriously gonna throw a fit over something this trivial, right?"

I clenched my shirt. Five years with Harvey, and Vivi had always been a shadow between us. Just hearing her name was enough to mess with my head. But now? Didn't matter anymore.

I gave a quick nod. "Congrats on coming back. Keep celebrating—I'm just here to grab a few things."

My calmness made Harvey frown. Back in the day, he used to drop Vivi's name just to watch me snap, hoping I'd make a scene. But now? I was too calm, and it clearly threw him off.

As I turned to leave, Vivi's soft, pathetic voice cut through the room. "Leah, I've already forgiven you for what happened back then. Why are you still being so cold? Stay and celebrate with us, okay?"

Of course, Harvey couldn't stand seeing her upset. He grabbed my arm and yanked me over to the table, shoving me into a seat.

"Vivi said she doesn't blame you, so quit acting like a corpse and keep her company."

No sooner had I sat down than his friends swarmed me.

"To show your sincerity, Leah, drink up!"

I almost laughed at how predictable they were. They knew I'd just had a liver transplant and still shoved alcohol at me—disgusting. The old me might've thought they actually cared.

I pushed the glass away. "Doctor said no drinking."

"Oh, come on. Just a little won't hurt!"

They didn't even listen, grabbing my arms and forcing the liquor down my throat. It burned, and I choked, coughing hard. As I tried to pull back, someone shoved me forward—my face slammed into the cake.

Cream smeared over my mouth and nose, choking me. Laughter exploded around me—sharp, mocking.

I finally pushed myself up, my face stinging and damp. Blinking through the mess, I looked down—and froze. Steel nails stuck out of the cake.

Vivi was practically doubled over, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. One of the guys looked at me with zero remorse.

"Sorry, Leah. The cream was too soft, so I had them put something in to support it. Who knew you'd shove your whole face into it like a pig?"

Someone muttered something about me being just like a pig, and they all burst out laughing again.

I wiped the cream off, forcing down my anger, and moved to leave. But Vivi wasn't done. She grabbed a fistful of my hair, eyes glinting with smug satisfaction, and waved to the others.

"Leah's upset! Let's help her wash up so she doesn't go whining to Harvey."

They all grinned like it was some big joke and rushed at me. Panic crawled up my spine. I couldn't breathe.

When I was a kid, I'd been kidnapped—nearly drowned when they shoved my head underwater because I wouldn't stop crying. Ever since, water terrified me.

No matter how much I fought, Vivi dragged me to the kitchen. They pinned my arms behind my back and forced my head into the sink.

Freezing water crashed over me, and I screamed, choking and gasping for air. They just held me tighter, laughing like it was some twisted game.

"Scrub her good! A filthy woman like her has no place here!"

My vision blurred, darkness creeping in. I was seconds from passing out when Harvey's voice cut through the chaos.

"Enough! All of you, stop it!"

They dropped me like I burned them, and I collapsed to the floor, coughing and shaking.

Harvey walked over, brushing my wet hair from my face. "I'm sorry, babe. You must be so scared."

I pushed his hands away, my voice raw. "I'm fine."

Ignoring his wounded look, I turned and headed to the bedroom.

Outside, I heard Harvey's friends grumbling.

"It was just a joke, Harvey. Why're you so touchy all of a sudden?"

Harvey's voice dropped; he was trying to keep his cool. "Leah's been terrified of water since she was a kid. How could you use her worst fear as a joke?"

One of them scoffed. "Think of it as payback. Vivi's back—you don't wanna be with her sooner?"

"Yeah, you've done way worse before. What's one more thing?" another chimed in.

Something snapped in Harvey. He kicked the table hard, voice cold. "She just had surgery. What if the wound reopened?"

Vivi's face darkened. She glared at him, voice shaking. "It's only been four years, and you're already changing your heart?"

"Never," he said instantly. "You're the only one I've ever loved, and that'll never change."

His friends whooped, egging him on.

"Harvey and Vivi are meant to be! If Leah hadn't gotten in the way, you two would've been together ages ago. She's shameless enough to stick around, so we should give her a final lesson—teach her that bad deeds get punished. She wrecked Vivi's art exam chances with that car accident, so it's only fair to break her legs too!"

The others nodded like it made sense, but Harvey hesitated. "No. Leah's body can't take that kind of injury now."

Silence. Then Vivi burst into tears. "Harvey, you told me dating her was just revenge for me. Now that I'm back, why are you still protecting her? You saw how bad my leg was hurt back then. All I want is justice—is that too much to ask?"

Harvey panicked, pulling Vivi into his arms and kissing her. After a long, tense moment, he rasped to his friends, "Don't go too far. I don't wanna owe her anything."

My heart tightened painfully. For Vivi's happiness, he'd throw my life away without a second thought.

Fine. If that's how he wants it, I'll make him pay.

I pulled out my phone and shot a message to Mom.

Harvey's friends left loud and rowdy, probably still buzzing from their sick little plan. A few minutes later, Harvey slipped into the bedroom and sat on the edge of my bed.

Maybe he felt guilty seeing me curled up under the covers, pale and miserable. He leaned down to kiss me, but I shoved him away. His hand froze for a second before he forced a soft smile.

"Babe, sorry you had a rough day," he said. "I booked us a table at that romantic restaurant you wanted. Be there at noon tomorrow."

My heart felt like ice, but I gave a tiny nod. "Okay."

The next morning, he claimed he had a follow-up at the hospital and told me to head to the restaurant ahead of him. When he handed me the car keys, I kept my voice low.

"Harvey, if you had another chance... would you still choose me?"

Something flickered in his eyes—maybe regret—but he plastered on a smile and ruffled my hair. "Don't overthink it. You're the only one I'll ever love."

As he walked away, I gave him a faint smile. This was his last chance.

I headed to the garage, climbed into the car, and started the engine. The car eased out of the neighborhood and hit the expressway. Speed limit was at least sixty mph, but I barely noticed.

Back at the villa, Harvey and his friends had binoculars trained on my car. Just before the final turn, instead of slowing down, the car picked up speed, tires screeching like nails on a chalkboard.

Inside, a hidden mic transmitted my panicked screams straight to the villa. "What's happening? The car's skidding! Harvey, where are you? I'm scared! I don't wanna die!"

They howled with laughter, feeding off my terror like wolves. The car veered out of control and slammed into the guardrail with a sickening crunch.

Harvey led the applause. "Once she calls, I'll tell her it's over between us."

But something shifted.

Thick smoke poured from the engine, and within seconds, flames shot up. Before they could process it, the car exploded, debris raining down, leaving nothing but a burning wreck.